per capita

adverb or adjective

per cap·​i·​ta (ˌ)pər-ˈka-pə-tə 

1

: per unit of population : by or for each person

the highest income per capita of any state in the union

2

: equally to each individual

Synonyms

• a shot
• each
• per
• a pop

Examples of per capita in a Sentence

we expect the students to receive less funding per capita this year due to a marked increase in the school-age population

Recent Examples on the Web

The city's incarceration rate was more than five times the national average per capita. —Sarah Handel, NPR, 5 Aug. 2025

The dataset used by WalletHub in its calculations ranged from hospital conventional-delivery charges to annual average infant-care costs to pediatricians per capita. —Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025

Is bombing the hell out of everything and everyone the only tactic that Prime Minister Netanyahu can come up with? Gaza has the highest number of children with amputations in the world, per capita. —Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 2 Aug. 2025

Louisiana locks up more people per capita than nearly any other U.S. state, and unlike other states, a majority of Louisiana’s prisoners are held in local jails, with the state paying local sheriffs a daily rate per inmate. —Brent McDonald, New York Times, 31 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin, by heads

First Known Use

1682, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

per capita

adverb or adjective

per cap·​i·​ta (ˌ)pər-ˈkap-ət-ə 

: by or for each person

per capita income

Legal Definition

per capita

adverb or adjective

per cap·​i·​ta pər-ˈka-pə-tə 

1

: equally to each individual

all property to pass to the descendants per capita

—used of a method of distributing an especially intestate estate compare per stirpes

Note: Per capita distribution of an estate provides each descendant with an equal share of the estate's assets regardless of the degree of his or her kinship. Children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc., all receive equal shares.

2

: per unit of population : by or for each individual

a high per capita tax burden

Etymology

Medieval Latin, by heads